Too Sober
by Georgia Doe
Summary: A Oneshot centered on Pumpkin and her relationship with Hatsumomo, and how it influences her. About fighting a losing battle... Read and Review


A/N This is my first attempt at 'Memoirs of A Geisha' fanfiction, so I'm sorry if it's not too good. I watched the movie on my plane flight to Japan, then when I got back I bought the book and read it, and I love it. This is centered on Hatsumomo and Pumpkin, my two favorite characters, it's not very long, so please read it, and tell me what you think. A special thank you to Dani, who was the inspiration for this.

Disclaimer: I do not own Memoirs of a Geisha, or any rights to it. I am merely a worshipping fan.

"Pumpkin, why aren't you drinking?" Hatsumomo said asked irritably, unsteadily pushing the glass towards her little sister.

"I'm not thirsty, Hatsumomo, I need to go to sleep," Pumpkin replied, wiping the tiredness from her eyes as best as she could. Hatsumomo glared at her, and Pumpkin regretted speaking at all.

"Drink, keep me company," she said sternly, only relaxing as Pumpkin obligingly took a sip. "There, kanpai!" They clinked glasses, and after gulping down a mouthful of beer, Hatsumomo looked to Pumpkin to make sure she had drunken a good potion of the alcohol. Pumpkin gulped the sour drink down and smiled weakly. Hatsumomo seemed contented with this and opened up the paper door to see the moonlight.

"Hatsumomo, may I practice?" Pumpkin asked after a minute or two of silence. Hatsumomo looked onward to the moon thoughtfully.

"Why, is my company not good enough for you?" Hatsumomo asked, a sharp edge to her voice. Pumpkin shook her head quickly, and Hatsumomo glared at her for a while. "Play, play the shamisen for me." Pumpkin took it out, putting it together carefully. She plucked the strings and looked up to the moon as Hatsumomo was. Pumpkin stuck out her tongue in concentration as she played; if Hatsumomo meant to keep her up until two or three in the morning again she could at least try to use the time constructively. "Pumpkin, you need more practice, why do you play so badly?"

Pumpkin's eyes watered up a bit at this. She practiced as much as she could, but Hatsumomo constantly kept her busy, and she'd always had a hard time with instruments. "Not like Sayuri," Hatsumomo continued, bitterness seething through her light voice, "Sayuri who dances and plays so elegantly, Sayuri who managed to catch the eye of the great Mameha. No wonder, Sayuri's shaping up to a little misses perfect too, eh?" Hatsumomo giggled drunkenly at this, looking to Pumpkin who'd stopped playing. Pumpkin stared at her.

"Laugh!" Hatsumomo yelled, frustrated at Pumpkin's inability to have a good time with her. Pumpkin tried to smile, laughing softly, but after a few seconds Hatsumomo wasn't even looking at her. "Pumpkin, I'm hungry, lets get yakitori." She got up, wavering a moment before turning to go to the door. Pumpkin started to take apart her shamisen, working as fat as she could. "Pumpkin!" Hatsumomo yelled from the doorway, and Pumpkin got up leaving the shamisen for later.

"Hatsumomo, it's starting to rain," Pumpkin said as she put on her sandals.

"Then bring an umbrella, even you know that," she said back, walking out the door as Pumpkin grabbed a paper umbrella and rushed after, just barely keeping Hatsumomo and herself dry.

"Hatsumomo, it's getting late, lets go back," Pumpkin said quietly after a few minutes of looking, "You can have yakitori in the morning." Hatsumomo walked on unsteadily through the warm air, before plopping down on a bench. Pumpkin folded up the umbrella and sat down next to her; it had stopped raining.

""Pumpkin," Hatsumomo said, letting her head fall back and her neck rest on the top of the bench. Pumpkin prepared for a berating. "Pumpkin, you _will_ be the daughter of the okiya. But why are you a geisha?"

"Well," Pumpkin said, unprepared for such a question, "My parents, they…"

"Are they dead?" Hatsumomo asked, "I've heard it before. Parents dead, no relatives to take you in." Pumpkin stopped talking. "I thought it would be better here, but whatever you get is taken away. Geisha is a terrible thing. You hate me, Sayuri hates me, and everyone who doesn't pay me hates me."

"I don't hate you," Pumpkin said meagerly.

"I know you hate me," Hatsumomo replied angrily, sitting up and looking at Pumpkin. "Geisha cannot have pity and cannot not love, I am cruel to you all, but I must be. Geisha have nothing, so no more crying when I yell at you, and never speak to Sayuri again!" Pumpkin tried to slow down her breathing but couldn't. "Sayuri is prettier than you, she dances and she plays shamisen, and what do you have? She will run you out of business unless you fight back, just like I must fight Mameha. If you don't, I cannot help you become daughter of the okiya. I am going back, bring me yakitori, and get me more sake!" Hatsumomo got up, taking the umbrella with her. She walked away into the distance, swaying and occasionally stumbling under the influence of the alcohol. Hatsumomo had thrown up earlier that night, but she'd insisted on drinking more.

Pumpkin sat on the bench, before suddenly leaning over and running to a trashcan to puke. Tears ran down her face, spilling through her make up and blurring it as she sat back down on the bench and hugged her legs close. She wished it would rain so that she could have an excuse for her makeup, but kept on crying anyways. Then she got up, wiping away the tears away that continued to spill down her face, and started walking towards the store. Hatsumomo would be waiting for her.


End file.
